


Welcome Home, Eunwoo!

by marojehca



Category: ASTRO (Band), ASTRO (Kpop), Aroha, BinWoo ASTRO - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, M/M, MalexMale, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 10:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7357750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marojehca/pseuds/marojehca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Eunwoo leaves for New Caledonia, Moon Bin realizes he has feelings for his best friend...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome Home, Eunwoo!

**Author's Note:**

> My writing forte is angst.  
> But a mutual told me that if I set my mind to it, I can write fluff.  
> So, here's my first try.  
> 

**May 26 - Departure for New Caledonia**

Bin rushed out of the room he shared with Eunwoo in a state of panic. He was so distraught that he didn't care if his hair was standing on end and a thin line of drool was drying on the side of his face.  
"Where's Eunwoo?"  
Jinjin looked at him in disbelief and mild disgust at his disheveled appearance. "What do you mean? He already left."  
"Left? For where?" Bin demanded, simultaneously smoothing his hair down and wiping at the drool on his face.  
Myung Jun looked up from the book that he was reading. He had classes in the afternoon at university and did not appreciate being disturbed, especially by someone so incredibly clueless it hurt. "To the airport, idiot. He's leaving for New Caledonia today, duh?"  
Bin gasped. _Oh no!_  
Months before Eunwoo had received an offer to go into a popular reality TV show called Law of the Jungle. Their company sunbae, Seo Kang Jun, had recommended him after coming off his own stint in the program. The company thought it was a good idea and a great way to get more attention for ASTRO.  
"Why didn't you guys wake me up?" He grumbled, stomping his foot like an irate child in the living room.  
"Were we supposed to?" Jinjin asked, confused and a little bit annoyed as well. "Besides, Eunwoo tried but you were dead to the world. So he just left."  
Groaning, Bin smacked himself in the head. How could he have overslept when his best friend was leaving to travel half-way around the world today?

 

 **May 27 - UClean Concert Practic** e

Bin made a mistake. It wasn't altogether an unusual occurrence. Making a mistake that is. But this was his forty-second cock-up of the day - a number gleefully recited by Sanha as the youngest had taken to ticking off every wrong move he had made at practice.  
"Yah! Bin-ah!" The group's manager was gesticulating angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
Bin felt ashamed. He bowed with his apology but as the music started for Puss In Boots, his mind wandered to the conversation he had with Eunwoo, the night before he left.  
" _I'm nervous about this show."Eunwoo had been worrying at his lower lip even as his hands kept busy shoving things into his over-sized backpack. It was the only luggage he was going to be allowed to take for the five-day shoot. "I mean, I don't know how to do variety!"_  
_Bin smiled, "Really? With all the research you did online about reality shows you still don't know what to do?"_  
_Eunwoo scratched at the back of his head, looking peeved at being found out. He was too much of a geek for his own good, often resorting to research online to satisfy his curiosity or his lack of experience._  
_"What if I do something to embarrass the band? Oh god, I can't live with that guilt." He buried his face in his hands._  
_"Well, if all else fails just look into the camera and turn on the charm." Bin quipped. "The viewers will take one look at your face and they'll forget anything you've done."_  
_"Shut up." Eunwoo mumbled, always touchy about the fact that people thought him good-looking. But there was a small smile playing at his lush lips, being secretly pleased at the compliment._  
_He really is gorgeous, Bin thought as he observed his friend from the corner of his eye. He knew that once the tv program aired, Korea would have no problem falling in love with Cha Eunwoo just like..._  
"YAH, MOON BIN!"  
"Nae?" Bin snapped out of his reverie, blinking his eyes as his consciousness focused on the present. He looked around and found his fellow members shaking their heads at him. He was still standing where he was but the others were already in different parts of the room, glaring at him. "Did I miss a move again?"  
The manager was seething. Pointing a stiff finger at his direction he drawled, "That's it. 50 laps around the room until you get your head on straight! The rest of you - practice!"  
With his head down in shame, Bin began hoofing it around the practice room.

 

**May 28 - UClean Concert**

ASTRO was waiting in a secured holding area for the artists. Secured being a fancy word for having steel barricades separating them from the crowd. The boys were bouncing on their feet, trying to wake up their limbs after having slept inside the company cars on the way to the event.  
It was a good-sized crowd and it comforted the group to see a lot of the familiar white and purple cheering towels their fanclub used. Bin had been bent down at the waist, arms extended backwards when Rocky slapped him from behind.  
"What?" Bin yelled, frowning.  
Rocky nodded stiffly to the side, looking panicked around the eyes even as his lips stretched into a welcoming grin. Behind him, the other members of ASTRO also came into attention. The bouncing stopped and they turned to a group of police officers that were approaching them.  
Bin cautiously turned to the newcomers and almost choked on his own spit. Standing right in front of him were second generation Kpop legends - Choi Siwon, Lee Donghae and Shim Changmin.  
Bin had not laid eyes on Changmin since that Star King appearance with TVXQ when he was eight.  
"I can't believe this is our little Yunho." Changmin exclaimed, looking genuinely pleased at seeing him. "How long has it been Moon Bin?"  
"Nearly 10 years, sunbae-nim."  
"This is the Balloons kid you were talking about?" Siwon asked. "Wow, he's grown."  
Donghae gave the other members an appraising glance. "Good looking group. ASTRO, right?"  
"Nae. Kamsahamnida." ASTRO automatically replied, bowing to their seniors in gratitude, thoroughly pleased these legends knew who they were.  
"Where's the pretty one though?"  
"I'm sorry?" Jinjin blinked up at Changmin, not really sure what he meant.  
Changmin frowned, obviously searching for someone else in the group. "You have six members right? Where's the tall, pretty one? The one that looks like a human doll? What's the name again?" He turned to Siwon.  
"Erm...Eunwoo?" Siwon volunteered. "That one?"  
Myung Jun supplied the answer. "Ah. He left a few days ago to shoot for Law of the Jungle in New Caledonia."  
"That far away? Sad."  
Sad was an understatement.  
Bin thought that the excitement of the upcoming performance would drive out the thought of Eunwoo being so far away from his mind. But it all it did was highlight what was now missing from his life...

 

**May 29 - KBS Open Concert Broadcast**

Whenever they had time to spare, ASTRO would gather together to watch and critique their performance. The large TV screen inside Fantagio's meeting area served their purpose as they tuned in to watch the broadcast of a prerecorded performance for KBS. Jinjin was sounding off on the bits that needed tweaking. Myung Jun was positively ecstatic at how good everyone looked on screen. Rocky was trying his best to give equal attention to the food he had in front of him as well as Jinjin's running commentary. And Sanha? The poor thing had his head on his arms on the long table snoring softly.  
"Do you think he's eating well?" Bin suddenly suddenly murmured, chewing at a piece of tonkatsu thoughtfully.  
"Who?" Myung Jun asked, still not taking his eyes off the tv screen.  
"I feel so guilty that we're here having food and he's... Well, we don't really know what they're feeding him there."  
"Again? Who?" Jinjin's voice had a hard edge to it, not really liking the fact that he was interrupted mid-comment.  
"Eunwoo." Bin replied, looking forlorn. He pushed the open lunch box away, the taste of the food turning into sawdust in his mouth. His best friend was not a picky eater but then, he didn't know how to discriminate between what was good or what was bad for him either. "What if they don't manage to catch any fish... or... or if they don't know which plants are good to eat?"  
The thought that Eunwoo might be sent home sick or hurt... or... or...  
Rocky waved his hand dismissively. "He'll be fine. Knowing Eunwoo-hyung he would have thought to look online for what's edible there. Now, eat your food before I do."  
But Bin was not comforted by Rocky's logic. Despite knowing that it was true, he refused to believe that everything was okay until he saw Eunwoo himself.  
And that was not going to happen for three more days. They were going to be the longest three days of his life.

 

**May 30 - Vocal Practice at Fantagio**

"Has he stopped pacing yet?" Jinjin whispered into Sanha's ear.  
They were watching Moon Bin burn a hole through the bottoms of his sneakers as he walked the same straight line across the wooden floor of their practice room over and over again in the past 45 minutes since they arrived.  
"Nope."  
Sanha's head was turning from side to side. It was like watching a tennis game unfold except there was no ball that went across the net, just his hyung moving aimlessly as he muttered to himself while looking through the news sites.  
"Seriously? Not even a whisper of gossip from the New Caledonia shoot?" His fingers were flying over the tablet angrily as his feet made squeaking noises on the floor. "What good are these sites anyway?"  
"Erm? News?" Rocky offered helpfully.  
"Not the news that matters!" Bin growled, raising the tablet over his head.  
Rocky sprang up arms out, ready to catch the gadget when it seemed that his hyung was about to toss it on to the floor. Instead, however, Bin took hold of the device with both of his hands and started shaking it violently.  
"Hyung!" Sanha griped, reaching up to snatch the tablet away before his bandmate did any real harm. The group kept videos and selfies archived inside it for when they needed something to update their official SNS accounts. He scooted behind Jinjin to hide just in case his Binnie-hyung thought to take the tablet back.  
"I got the music sheets and the plans for our 100 days broadcast!" Myung Jun burst into the practice room in his usual cheerful manner. The smile dropped from his face when he saw Bin fuming. "What? Did I miss something?"  
"Am I the only one worried here that we haven't heard anything about Eunwoo in four days? Did you get a call from anyone at SBS about what's happening in New Caledonia?"  
Myung Jun looked confused. "Sorry. Was I supposed to?"  
"Gaaaaahhhh!" Bin shrieked, grabbing at his head. "You don't understand! None of you understand!" He pushed past the eldest band member in a huff, intent on leaving the room full of people who just didn't seem to care.  
"What's up with him?" Myung Jun asked still shaken by Bin's uncharacteristic outburst. He was usually so chill.  
Jinjin appeared nonplussed. "I think the boy is in love with Eunwoo. It's just that he hasn't actually realized it yet."  
"Is he?"  
"Totally." Rocky and Sanha nodded in agreement.

 

**May 31 - ASTRO Dorm**

Moon Bin _mooning_ was a sight to behold. Huddled in one corner of the living room sighing heavily every now and then as he scanned through the photos saved in the group's communal tablet - the device he almost crushed with his bare hands yesterday - he seemed to be a mere shadow of the glossy, happy idol that most ASTRO fans know, now scruffy and ragged from lack of sleep.  
"I'm worried." Jinjin murmured to Myung Jun. Both of them regarded Bin critically, none of them liking what they see. "He hasn't moved from that spot in hours. And I'll give you two guesses what particular pictures, he's been staring at."  
"Eunwoo." Myung Jun replied, pressing a palm to his forehead. "You'd think he'd never see him again."  
"Well, with the way he's acting..." Jinjin grumbled. "He needs to get out. I don't know. Just have him do something outside for a few hours."  
Myung Jun thought about it. "I know!"  
He approached his band member asking him to relinquish the group tablet for a minute. "Bin, I want you to do something for me."  
Bin blinked at him, his eyes slowly coming into focus as if he had just woken up from a dream. "What?"  
Myung Jun was flipping through photos on the gadget in his hand until he found something he thought was appropriate. It was a fan taken photo of Eunwoo at the airport. He was smiling, holding up his hands level to his shoulders clenched in fists. He showed it to Bin and said, "I want you to go to the print shop two blocks from here and have this made into a standee."  
"But this picture is just half of Eunwoo." Bin argued.  
"I have half the budget for it too, so go." Myung Jun pulled at Bin's arm.  
"Why can't you or Jinjin-hyung go?"  
"Because he and I still need to plan the activities for our 100 days broadcast... and Sanha and Rocky are still at school. So you get to go. Besides, you could use the fresh air."  
"I really don't feel like -"  
"Go." Myung Jun insisted, managing to dislodge his band mate from his seat.  
"But what if someone calls with news of Eunwoo..."  
"Go!" Jinjin spoke from the other side of the room in a tone that brooked no argument.  
Reluctantly, Bin brushed off his clothes and headed out, wondering what good the fresh air would do when his mood was as dark as that gaping hole inside of him left there by Eunwoo's absence.

 

**June 1 - 2 Hours before midnight VApp broadcast**

"Yah, Moon Bin!" Jinjin was knocking on the door of the room he shared with Eunwoo. "It's time. Come on!"  
"He's been in there with Eunwoo-hyung's standee since we came home from practice." Sanha said, brushing lint off his shirt.  
"Bin-ah! Don't make me go in there!" Myung Jun yelled, before delivering three sharp raps against the door.  
When their band mate came out, his head was down hidden by a cap. He was clutching Eunwoo's 2D counterpart to his side.  
"Let me carry the standee hyung." Rocky offered.  
But Bin waved him away.  
"Still no call? Nothing?" He mumbled sadly, turning to his Jinjin hyung for an answer. There were visible circles around his eyes, something the make-up artist will give them hell for.  
Jinjin was about to comment on this but held his tongue, deciding instead to offer comfort. "No news is good news. If anything has happened, don't you think they'll tell us?" The group's leader replied. "They're probably already on their way back."  
"But that would mean Eunwoo won't be here for the 100 day livestream."  
"I thought that was what the standee was for." Sanha interjected. "So that he's with us even though he's not really going to be there?"  
Bin stared down at the cardboard copy of his best friend in his hand. "It's not the same."  
Myung Jun sighed, placing an arm around Bin's shoulders as they all filed out of the door to go to the Fantagio building. "You know, you should do yourself a favor. When Eunwoo gets here, you should tell him."  
Bin cocked his head to side. "Tell him what?"  
"You know."  
"I do?"  
"Yeah."  
Bin considered his hyung's words. Tell Eunwoo what exactly? That he was sorry he didn't wake up in time to say goodbye before he left for the airport? That he spent his days and nights wondering how he was doing in an island territory thousands of miles away? That he had sleepless nights since he left, unable to feel secure in a room made for two people?  
That he had never felt such emptiness in all his life till that day he woke up to find Eunwoo's bed devoid of his usual bright presence?  
That in his absence he actually realized he really, really, really liked him as more than just his best friend?  
_Wait._  
What?  
The light began to return to Moon Bin's eyes as he came to his own realization.  
Myung Jun saw it too and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "See? I knew you'd get _there_ eventually."

 

**June 2 - 11am Eunwoo's Arrival**

"Rocky, move your head. I can't see!" Bin pressed his face against the huge glass pane that fronted the side of their dorm facing the main street. "Sanha!"  
It was a struggle trying to see over their heads, both band maknaes insisting on using their substantial height and bulk to block the view from the large window. All three boys were hoping to catch the first glimpse of the company van that was bringing Eunwoo home from the airport.  
"Will you please stop gawking at the window like imbeciles?" Jinjin yelled at them from his seat in the living room. "Eunwoo will get here when he gets here."  
"I don't even get why Sanha and Rocky skipped school today for this." Myung Jun mused out loud.  
"Because Eunwoo hyung would be bringing home chocolates." Sanha supplied the answer. "He said so before he left."  
"I think I see the car! It's here! It's here!" Rocky exclaimed.  
He and Sanha peeled themselves off the window so fast, Bin was left clutching glass. But as the rest of the group members gathered in the living room dancing in a circle and chanting "Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!" in anticipation of the forbidden sweet, he was watching Eunwoo emerge from the vehicle.  
Okay, so he wasn't limping.  
There were no visible bruises or scratches.  
He didn't seem to be sick.  
The smile on Eunwoo's face at being back appeared to be genuine. He saw him wave to the van as it drove away before entering their apartment building.  
Bin swallowed the nervous lump in his throat as he turned to face the entry way.  
_Tell him._  
_Tell him._  
_Tell him._  
But how?  
The electronic lock on the security door chimed and then it opened inward. Eunwoo came in, backpack and large paper bag in hand. He beamed at the group, his eyes turning into half-moon slits. "Hi kids! Miss me?"  
Happy screams erupted in the room as five bodies rushed the new arrival. Bin didn't know how it happened but his body moved on its own accord, reaching Eunwoo before everyone else did. He threw his arms around him and then pressed his lips against those of his best friend. He didn't notice the screams dying down or the fact that Jinjin and Myung Jun were trying to wrestle Rocky and Sanha out of the room. All he felt were those soft lips moving over his. All he smelled was that familiar comforting blend of green tea and vanilla that he associated with the boy in his arms. All he saw was the face that haunted his dreams and the only one that he wanted to wake up to every morning for the rest of his life.  
"Bin? What the-" Eunwoo asked, clearly dazed by the unexpected greeting.  
"You." Bin breathed against his lips. "You're never going anywhere without me again. Do you understand?"   
"Bin. Wait. What are you -" But even as Eunwoo tried to gather his thoughts into a vaguely coherent sentence his tongue peeked out and licked at his lips, unconsciously taking in Bin's taste.  
Bin watched the action, moaning. He cupped the back of Eunwoo's head before dipping down to chase the tongue back inside his mouth. The sensation of having his best friend this way was both foreign and comforting. And, it was everything he had ever wanted.  
"I missed you." He murmured when he finally allowed himself a gulp of air. "So, don't leave me again, okay?"  
In a language that only true best friends would understand, Eunwoo knew that behind Bin's words he was asking for so much more than what he was actually saying. He found himself agreeing because how could he not? He felt the same way too, for a long time now.  
"Okay." He whispered back, hands coming up to rest on Bin's waist.  
"Good. And, welcome home, Eunwoo."


End file.
